P A S S AG E T H R E E (1) R ea d ing awar d - w inning li t e r a tu r e m ay boost y our ab i l i ty to read ot h er p e op le , a new s t udy sug g ests. R ese a rch e rs a t the N ew S c hool f o r S o c i a l R es e a r c h, i n N ew Y ork C i t y , found t h at w h en they h a d v olu n te er s read w or k s of a c c l a i m ed “ l i te r a r y f ic t io n ”, it see m ed to te m pora r ily i m pro v e t h e i r a b i l ity to i n t e rp r et ot h e r peop l e’s e m otion s . T h e sa m e w as n o t t rue of n on f i c tion or “p o pu l ar” f i c t ion, the m ys t e r y , ro m ance and sc i enc e - fi c t i on boo k s t hat o f ten do m ina t e be s t s e l ler l is t s . (2) Ex p e r ts s a id the f in d i ng s, repo r ted o n li n e in S c ie nc e , su g g est t h at l i te r a t u re m i g ht he l p p e op l e to b e m ore perce p t i v e and en g a g ed i n th e ir li v e s . (3) “ R e ad i ng lit e r a ry fic t i o n is n ’ t j u st for p a s s ing the ti m e. I t ’s not ju s t an e s ca p e , ” s a id K e i th O a t le y , a pro f ess o r e m e r i tus o f co g n i ti v e ps y cho l o g y at the U n i v e r s ity of T o r ont o . I t a l so e n ab l e s us t o be t t e r und e r s ta n d oth e rs, a nd t hen ta k e t h a t i n to o u r d a ily li v es. (4) Oa t l ey w as not in v ol v ed in the n ew r e se a rch, but w or k ed on so m e of t he f i r s t s t ud i es to su g g est t h a t rea d ing l i t e r a tu r e can boo s t peop l e ’s e m pa t hy f o r ot h e r s . H is t eam has fou n d th a t t h ose w ho r ead a l o t o f f i c t ion tend to s how g rea t er e m p a t hy on s t an d a r d te s ts, but t h e sa m e i s n o t true of a v id n onf i c t ion fan s . (5) B u t, the s tudy by O a t l e y and his t eam cann o t p r o v e t h at l it e r a tu r e bo o s t s e m pa t hy — e m pa t h e t ic f ol k s m a y j u s t be d rawn to re a d ing fi c tio n , w he r eas the n e w s t udy does o f fer so m e “caus e - and - e f fec t ” e v iden ce , O a t ley s a i d . F o r the s tud y , r ese a rc h e r s s e t up a s e r ies o f fi v e e x pe r i m en t s in w hi c h p a r t i c ipa n ts r e ad e i th e r l i t e ra r y fi c t i on, pop u l a r f ic t ion, n o n fi c t i on or n o t h ing at a ll b ef ore t a k ing so m e s t andard t e s t s. O ne of t he t e s ts i s k no w n as “ R e ad i ng t h e M ind in t h e E y e s ”. Peo p le h a v e t o lo o k at phot o s of a c to r s ’ e y es, and t h en g uess w h at e m oti o n is b e i ng ex p re s sed in eac h . T he t est is co n s i d e r e d a m easu r e of e m pa t h y . O v e r a l l, s tudy pa r t i c i p an t s f a r e d b e t te r on the t e st a f ter r e ad i ng l i te ra r y f ic t ion, v e r sus the o th e r t h ree con d i t ion s . (6) I t w as a s m a l l i m pro v e m en t , acc o rding to t h e p r i n c i p a l res e a r cher D a v id C o m er K id d , “ I t ’s n o t l i k e ta k ing peop l e f rom a ( g rade) ‘ C ’ t o an ‘ A ’ , ” he s a id. B ut, K idd ad d ed, t h e e f f ect w as seen a f t e r o n ly abo u t 10 m inute s ’ rea d in g , and it wa s a s ta t i s t i c a lly s t rong fi n d i n g , m eaning it ’ s u n li k e l y to ha v e been d u e t o ch a nce. (7) “L i t e r a r y ” f i c t ion has no h a r d - an d - fast d e fi n i t io n . So K idd and his c o l l ea g ues cho s e c o nte m por a ry w or k s th a t ha v e w on or b e en f i n a l i s t s f o r o u t s tan d ing l i te r a r y awa r ds. T h ey in c l u ded “ T h e R ound H ous e ”, b y Louise E r d r ich, “S a l v a g e t he B on e s ”, by J es m y n W a r d a nd the sh o rt s t ory “ C o rr i e” by A lice Mu n ro. A nd “popu l a r ” f i c ti o n in c luded bes t - sel l e r s l i k e “ G o n e Gi r l ” by G i l l i an F l y nn, and D a n ie l le St e el’s “ T he Si n s o f t h e Mo t h e r ” . (8) Wh a t ’ s so s p ec i al a bout l i te r a r y fi ct ion? “ F or on e , i t ’s us u a l ly m ore foc u sed on cha r ac t e r s th a n on pl o t , ” K i d d no t ed. B ut be y ond t h a t , he s a id, t he r e is u su a lly no s i n g le “ a uth o r i t a ti v e na r ra t o r ” w ho t a k es us t h rou g h the s t o r y . “ I t de m ands t h at t he r ead e r a l m ost b eco m e a w ri t er and f il l i n t he g aps. Y ou r e a l ly ha v e to t h ink abo u t the c ha r ac t e r s , ” K i dd s a id. (9) Oa t l ey a g reed. “ Al i c e Mun r o do e s n ’ t t e l l y ou w hat t o t h in k , ” he sa i d. “ Y ou, y ourse l f , ha v e t o m a k e inf e re n ces a b out ch a r a c t e rs. A nd th a t ’s o ft e n w h a t we ’ r e d o ing in our r e a l - lif e co n v e r sa t ions . ” O r a t le a st t h a t ’ s w hat p e op l e co u ld d o . (10) R ea d ing l it e r a ry f i c t i o n co u ld a l s o o f f e r a w ay to “p r a c ti c e” y our s o c i a l s k il l s and u s e them m ore in re a l l i fe, ac c or d ing to an o t h er re s ea r ch e r n ot in v ol v ed i n t h e s tud y . “ I t ’s l i k e how p i lo t s tr a in in a f li g ht s i m ul a t o r , ” said R a y m ond Ma r , an as s o c i a te pr o fe s sor o f p s y cho l o gy at Y ork U n i v e r s i t y , i n T oron t o, w ho h a s co l lab o r a t e d w ith Oa t l e y . “This is a g r e at s tud y , ” M ar s a id o f t h e new s t u d y . B ut he add e d t h at the o v e r a l l r es e a r c h in t h i s a r ea is “ s t i ll in its i n fanc y ” and one k ey que s ti o n is w he t h e r l i t e r a r y f i c t ion re a lly i s be t t e r t h an o th e r f i c t io n . (11) M a r and h is c o l l ea g ues r e ce n tly found th a t fa n s of ro m ance no v e l s ten d ed to do be s t on t e s ts of e m pa t h y . U nli k e the c ur r e n t s t ud y , Ma r ’s s tudy did n o t t e st peo p le a f t er h a v ing them read di f f e re n t t y pes o f fi c t i on. So i t ’ s pos s i b le t h at t h e r e is so m e t hing e l s e about ro m anc e - n o v el re a de r s th a t m a k es them m o r e unde r s t a nding of ot h e rs . (12) S t i l l, a c co r d ing to Ma r , i t ’ s t oo e a rly to t e ll pe o ple to tra d e i n t h e i r D an i e l l e S t eel f o r A l i ce M u nro, a t lea s t if the g oal is boo s ting e m pa t h y . (13) I t’s al s o po s s i b le t h a t pla y s, m o v ies or e v en TV s ho w s co u ld b u ild y our e m pa t hy m uscles, a cc o rding to K idd. B ut r ea d ing m ay be spe c i a l, he s a id, be c au s e it pro v i d es no v isu a ls a n d y ou ha v e to en g a g e y our i m a g ina t ion m or e . (14) E v e r y one a g r e ed th a t t he f ind i n g s su g g e s t l i t e ra t u re i s i m por t ant be y ond e n t e rt a in m ent or i m pro v ing v ocabul a r y . “ T he r e ’ s a c om m on be l ief t hat r ea d ing l it e r a tu r e is f r i v olous, or n ot p ra c t i c a l , ” M a r s a i d. “ B ut the r e ’ s a g ro w ing body of e v idence th a t i t ’ s i m port a nt i n s k il l s t h at w e need in o ur l i v es.”